Start your day with a cup of organic chocolate energy smoother than any coffee kick!

Coco GoGo is an energizing formula that can be blended to create a delicious and chocolatey superfood energy boost. The unique ingredients in this bend provide natural stimulation without crashing your blood sugar levels!

How?

Guarana’s memory-enhancing and stamina-boosting qualities combine with Cacao to make an exceptional energy blend. The Phytochemicals in Cacao help to aid focus, elevate mood, create a sense of well being, and provide many other Neurological benefits. They also provide more cell-protecting antioxidants than almost any food on earth! Raw chocolate even provides the same neurotransmitters our brain produces when we're happy and in love!

While many energy drinks use guaraná extract for their strong caffeine kick, we use only the whole guaraná seed which is digested more slowly and offers a smoother, more sustainable energy-boost.

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Source & Process

Essential Living Foods is committed to providing foods of the highest quality, purity, and nutrient density, with every ingredient sustainably sourced to improve the health of the planet and its people.

Organic Raw Cacao Drink Mix

Essential Living Foods is committed to providing foods of the highest quality, purity, and nutrient density, with
every 100% Organic ingredient sustainably sourced to improve the health of the planet and its people.
Purchasing this product is a vote for a better world. All across the planet, we pay small farms and indigenous groups
a premium price for their crops and also give back 1% to non-profits like Amazon Watch. Our Beyond-Fair-Trade
relationship with small farms and cooperatives helps to increases skills, profits, independence, and education in
rural farm communities. Our sustainable organic approach to farming helps to preserve healthy soil, water and air
while protecting wildlife habitat, especially in rainforests.

Both our coconut sugar and cacao powder are produced by cooperatives of small-holder farmers who are trained to process
and prepare these products themselves, increasing their profit-margins, while enriching them and their communities.
We also partner with regional NGO’s to educate local communities about cooperative management and global markets,
which helps keep supply chains fair and transparent.

Coconut sugar is one of the most sustainable sweeteners in the world. Tropical palms are an ecologically beneficial
tree-crop that grow in diverse, wild-life supportive agro-ecosystems, restore damaged soils and require very little
water. Unlike destructive palm oil plantations, coconut palms integrate harmoniously with surrounding ecosystems to
provide uninterrupted habitat for wildlife while providing over 100 different sustainable and profitable products
for our small farming partners. This one tree has the single highest potential for lifting these farmers into a
better life while creating a net benefit to their surrounding environment.

The Mesquite added to this blend is grown in the arid highlands of Argentina and Peru, where the Mesquite tree has
always been an ally of the indigenous people, offering shade and nourishment while protecting precious soil.
Extremely heat and drought-tolerant, the mesquite tree's continuous yields provide both nourishment and a sustainable
livelihood, creating income for the locals who harvest and process the tree's pods into this delicious flour that
they share with the world. Unfortunately, over the last fifty years, tens of thousands of acres of mesquite have been
burned to make way for unsustainable cattle ranching. By supporting mesquite as an important everyday food source,
you help to put a stop to this aggressive deforestation.

Like all of our single-ingredient products, our specially-formulated whole-food mixes contain only the highest
quality organic ingredients — often RAW or low-temperature processed — and we carefully combine them for
maximal freshness and purity, with no added heat or preservatives.

Cacao

Unlike other “raw” cacao powders made by large processors with high-heat presses and high-friction screw grinders,
our RAW cacao powder is cold-pressed in small batches on proprietary equipment developed specifically for Verified
RAW (under 118°F) low-temperature processing. Cacao beans from freshly split pods are fermented under control at
40°C / 104°F and then washed in potable water before being solar-dried. The beans are hand-pounded to create nibs,
and the nibs are packed into a custom-built RAW expeller press, designed and built specifically to keep temperatures
under 118°F. Never touched by high heat, never contaminated by clarifying chemicals or solvents and never force
filtered, the cacao powder retains high levels of nutrients, antioxidants, flavor, and aroma.

Coconut Sugar

Small-holder farmers in Bali climb up the coconut palms that grow on their land, where they harvest pure nectar
from the flowers that grow there. The nectar is quickly and carefully boiled to prevent fermentation, thickened
into a caramel-like consistency which is poured into covered molds for cooling. The cooled pucks of coconut
caramel are collected and taken to a state-of-the-art facility where they are dried and milled into a flowing powder.
Unlike the "palm sugar" available in much of Asia, we do NOT cut this product with added cane sugar. Our coconut
sugar is 100% pure, single- ingredient product with no additives, fillers, or added sweeteners.

Vanilla

These beans are grown by a women's collective in India, hand-harvested and cured on-site in closed boxes. Most beans
destined for the U.S. market are drier and less rich in vanilla oil. We select a variety usually reserved for European
markets, with higher levels of moisture and natural vanilla oils. Stateside, the beans are ground to powder in an
Organic facility, but unlike most suppliers of vanilla powder, our cacao undergoes an added 12 day curing process, which
allows the bean’s natural flavor and aroma to reach full maturity.

Mesquite

When the mesquite pods have reached full maturity, they are hand-picked directly from the tree. Some operations will
collect fallen mesquite pods from the ground, but we forbid this practice since fallen pods are more likely to be
contaminated with mold. Once collected, the pods are rinsed and shade-dried before being ground and sifted to create
a smooth texture.

The Ripple Effect

You are powerful

This product is your vote for a better world. Across the planet, we seek the finest superfoods and pay a premium for the exceptional craftsmanship of small farmers, cooperatives, and indigenous communities. We also give back 1% to local non-profits like Amazon Watch, who protect the land and the communities who depend on it.

Every Product has an origin

and an impact

You stand at the finish line of an amazing journey with a miraculous beginning: Soil, Water, Sunshine...and Seed. With care and craftsmanship, Life unfolds, blossoms, and thrives. No chemicals needed. Just skill, hard work, and love for the land.

Every point on this map is a place that you touch. A farm. A community. An economy. An ecosystem.

Compared to even the best quality coffees or hot chocolates, our superfood chocolate drink mix sets
a new standard for both purity, flavor, and RAW whole-food benefits.

Packed with antioxidants, it is sweetened with low-glycemic coconut sugar, and has no additives or
preservatives. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, it is also naturally low in fat, and what
little fat it contains is the heart-healthy cacao butter from our RAW cacao.

Coconut Sugar vs. Typical Sweeteners

Since coconut sugar is low glycemic, the body absorbs its sugars slowly and has time to burn them
off, preventing the "blood sugar spikes" we associate with regular sugar.

What makes coconut sugar low-glycemic? It's the nutritional co-factors, which slow down the process
of absorbing the sugars. Like a "whole food," coconut sugar is a "whole sweetener."

Coconut sugar is merely the dehydrated, crystalized sap of the coconut palm flower, unrefined and
naturally high in ancillary nutrients.

Refined cane sugar is like a drug: a chemically pure crystal of 100% sucrose comprised of short
chain saccharides (which digest quickly, causing blood sugar spikes). This is why refined cane
sugar rates a high 65 on the glycemic index. Lowering our intake of high-glycemic foods such as
cane sugar has benefits for weight control and improving glucose and lipid levels in people
with diabetes.

Coconut sugar, on the other hand, contains much less sucrose (about 75%), and this sucrose
is mostly comprised of long-chain saccharides, which the body must break down, so they are
absorbed much slower. (Coconut sugar also has additional small percentages of fructose and glucose.)
Coconut sugar also has significant levels of minerals (especially Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and
Iron), vitamins (particularly B1, B2, B3, B6 and C), and over 14 important amino acids. These
other materials, and especially the amino acids, are thought to act as a buffer to the sucrose,
slowing the speed at which the sugars are absorbed into the blood stream.

RAW Cacao Powder

You've heard about the amazing health benefits of dark chocolate. Study after study is revealing
that chocolate is an incredible source of very specific antioxidants that support human health in
everything from cardiovascular function to brain function and longevity. It's also loaded with
vital minerals, healthy fats, and mood-boosting phytochemicals.

Since it is processed much less, RAW cacao has even more antioxidants than regular dark chocolate.
In fact, cacao has more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates, and goji
berries combined! Cacao contains polyphenols, catechins and epicatechins. The health benefits of
these antioxidants are well-studied and range from increasing blood flow to the brain
(enhancing brain health and protecting against stroke) to inhibiting cholesterol plaque buildup
in the arteries, to fighting unfriendly bacteria in the digestive system, to fighting the
free-radicals produced by everything from smoking to intense exercise.

Magnesium: Cacao may be the richest food source of magnesium on earth. Magnesium is an alkaline
mineral necessary for heart and muscle function, for arterial relaxation, and for proper mental
focus. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and has been linked to increased
happiness and improved mood—it even relieve constipation. Some research suggests that magnesium
and several other nutrients in cacao can smooth out the symptoms of PMS (perhaps explaining the
craving for chocolate during a woman's lunar cycle?). Unfortunately, more than 80% of Americans
suffer from magnesium deficiency!

Iron: Just one ounce of cacao supplies three times the US RDA of iron. Iron is a crucial component
of the cardiovascular system, allowing red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to every
single cell in the body. Iron is also a crucial component in the body's manufacturing of enzymes
and is used as an intracellular energy transporter.

Zinc: Zinc is vital to a healthy immune system, liver, pancreas, and skin, and it is crucial
in sexual development, fertility, and cell growth. It is also a central building block in
hundreds of enzymes throughout the body.

Manganese: Central to building bone, cartilage, and connective tissue, manganese also helps iron
to oxygenate the blood.

Copper: Another blood-building mineral along with manganese and iron. Not only is it antimicrobial,
copper is also important to digestion and our body's lymph system.

In addition to these vital nutrients, cacao also supplies a variety of mood-boosting phytochemicals
that make it perfect for everything from increasing energy levels to improving overall sense of
well- being.

Theobromine: Cacao contains about 1% theobromine by weight. Theobromine is also found in tea,
and is similar to caffeine, but much smoother, increasing vasodilation throughout the
cardiovascular system. This, in combination with the effects of cacao's antioxidants, can contribute
to everything from increased endurance to a greater sense of health or energy. In the actual cacao
bean, theobromine plays a role as an anti-bacterial shield, which is coincidentally effective
against Streptococci mutans, the bacteria that causes cavities.

Tryptophan: This essential amino acid is the precursor to the important neurotransmitters serotonin
and melatonin, leading to feelings of relaxation after consumption. Since tryptophan often breaks
down when heated, RAW cacao is likely a much better source of tryptophan.

Anandamide: "Ananda" means bliss, and anandamide is the body's own bliss molecule, responsible for
the infamous "runner's high" (not, in fact, endorphins). Not only does cacao contain anandamide,
it also contains an enzyme inhibitor that slows the breakdown of anandamide, keeping it flowing
through body and brain for much longer, increasing endurance and feelings of well-being.

Phenethylamine: Commonly known as the "love drug," Phenethylamine (PEA) is one of many chemicals
associated with feelings of love, excitement, focus and attention (perhaps explaining the
connection of chocolate and romance).

Mesquite

Indigenous populations in the Americas have long used the seed pods of Mesquite as a dietary
product. Mesquite contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, and is also rich in the
amino acid lysine. (Mesquite's high levels of lysine are a perfect balance to the higher
arginine levels found in cacao.) With 15% protein, mesquite satisfies hunger, and its high fiber
levels (30%) make Mesquite a slow-acting carbohydrate — meaning it absorbs into the blood slower
than high- glycemic carbs, so it won't spike your blood sugar.

It's also very low in fat — only 3%.

Mesquite also contains a host of phytochemicals and antioxidants, including Quercetin, which
is being studied for a wide variety of health benefits, particularly for endurance and energy levels.

Vanilla

Vanilla derives its unique flavor and aroma primarily from a phytochemicals named "vanillin."
Vanillin is part of a class of phytochemicals called "vanilloids" found in many medicinal foods,
including the spice-chemical capsaicin (in cayenne and hot peppers) and zingerone (in ginger).
Vanillin appears to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, although this research is
still preliminary.

Stimulating Effects: Slow vs. FastThe stimulating effect of this drink
mix comes from two ingredients: RAW Cacao and Guarana.RAW Cacao is rich in Theobromine, a mild
stimulant which is also found in Tea. Guarana (present in much smaller amounts than cacao) is a
rainforest seed which, like coffee, contains the much stronger stimulant caffeine.When mixed with
cold or even slightly warm liquid, the theobromine and caffeine will not release into the liquid
and will be absorbed gradually as the body digests the fibrous plant matter.On the other hand, if
you brew this mix in a hot liquid, the caffeine and theobromine will be extracted into the hot
liquid and your body will absorb them very quickly, for an effect similar to hot coffee.What's
Wrong With Coffee?Many health-conscious consumers avoid coffee and prefer to drink tea, or avoid
stimulants altogether, reporting unpleasant side-effects like stomach knots, jitteriness, or
queasiness.Some researchers believe that the caffeine is not to blame, but the poor quality of
typical coffee. Coffee, like chocolate, is often processed in humid, rural/jungle conditions,
where it is exposed to both moisture and contaminants from plants, animals, and insects. These
conditions cause the majority of coffees (even organic ones) to be contaminated with molds and
aflatoxins, which some people suspect are the cause of coffee's unpleasant side effects.Our RAW
Cacao, on the other hand, is carefully produced from fresh cacao beans that are washed,
solar-dried, and pressed in small batches to ensure purity. The effects speak for themselves.

California Prop 65 Warning

For strictly legal reasons, this product is labeled with a scary-looking warning required by California’s Proposition 65. These products comply with all health and safety standards of the FDA, USDA Organic, and our various certification partners (Non-GMO, Gluten Free, and Kosher), and we personally trust and consume these products every day. However, like many berries, root vegetables, and chocolate products, this one contain trace quantities of naturally-occurring minerals in perfectly safe quantities. Nevertheless, we are required to label the package in order to sell product in California.

Please do not be alarmed by the warning sticker, and understand that a “Proposition 65 warning does not necessarily mean a product is in violation of any product-safety standards or requirements.” Prop 65 is impacting more and more suppliers and retailers (including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s) and soon these labels will be on many natural food products throughout California and across the country.

Recipes

Trying to ditch your coffee habit? We’ve got just what you need…Vegan Maca Morning Shake Recipe! Maca is also known as “Peruvian ginseng” because of its adaptogenic qualities and traditional use to support hormone balance, increase libido and energy. Not only …